New Brunswick Minister of Education Roland Hache has refused a request for information about the apparently "top secret" driver education training program that the government has developed despite a Coroner's Jury recommendation for "nothing less" than trained Class 2 yellow school bus drivers behind the wheels of MFAVs. This has forced us to make Right To Information Request #8 in order to get more information about the Volunteer MFAV Driving Program. Let's see how long it takes to get the information!July 14, 2010
Hon. Mr. Roland Hache
Minister of Education
Constituency Office
691 Principale Street
Petit-Rocher, New Brunswick
E8J 1G1
Dear Mr. Hache:
I am writing at your suggestion to make a request under the Right to Information Act for information relating to the volunteer MFAV driver training program operated by the Department of Education since 2009.
Attached you will find the $5 fee for making a request under the Right to Information Act.
1. How much did it cost to develop the driver-training program for the MFAVs - that is total costs, from curriculum development, instruction, and vehicle rental, MFAV rental for testing, expenses and per diems for the instructor who has to travel to the different areas of the province to teach the course?
2. How many people took the course in 2009-2010 in the entire province broke down by Anglophone and Francophone school district?
3. Of all the people who took the course in 2009-2010, how many passed and how many failed?
4. What is the average age of the people who took the course in 2009-2010?
5. How many of the people who took the course in 2009-2010 would be described as: teachers, coaches, parents, relatives, former students, or other (for example, concerned volunteer citizens with no connection to the students or the school)?
6. Of all the people who took the course in 2009-2010, how many went on to voluntarily drive the MFAV’s?
7. How many trips did all trained drivers take with all MFAV’s in the provincial fleet, what was the average duration of hours that they drove and what was the total mileage?
8. How many trips made by volunteer drivers would be considered "short trips" and how many would be considered "long trips" ex: over 160 kilometres?
9. Were there any incidents involving volunteer drivers that were brought to the attention of the Activity Organizer, the Principal, the school district Superintendent or the Minister of Education? If yes, please explain.
10. Is there a course evaluation mechanism in place for students of the volunteer driver program? If yes, what does the course evaluation consist of and what kind of comments, good and bad, was made of the volunteer driver-training program?
11. Have there been any adjustments to the volunteer driver-training program as a result of input from the students and / or the course evaluation?
12. Please provide a copy of the volunteer driver training curriculum, the course materials, evaluation, a summary of the volunteer driver training program in 2009-2010, its training schedule for the 2009-2010 school year and the training schedule the upcoming 2010-2011 school year.
Thank you for your attention to this request for information under the Right to Information Act.
Yours sincerely,
Isabelle Hains
cc. Marcella Kelly and Ana Acevedo
cc. Denis Landry, Minister of Transportation
cc. Delalene Harris-Foran, President CUPE 1253
Attachment: $5 fee for Right to Information request
